The Wellington-based judge was in Dunedin yesterday as the chairwoman of a board of inquiry which is touring the country, hearing views on the Government's proposed New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2008.
The judge and fellow board members Philip Woolaston, Kathryn Edmonds and Rikirangi Gage yesterday visited St Clair beach to view Dunedin City Council efforts to counter severe erosion problems, sparked initially by heavy damage during a storm in June last year.
Judge Kenderdine was born and grew up in Dunedin, gaining an MA(Hons) in history from the University of Otago in 1960. She later received an LLB from Auckland University.
Board members were shown around the beach area by council and Department of Conservation staff.
Council coastal parks officer Renee Gordon said two nearby sand stockpiles were used to swiftly replenish beach sand if there was to any sudden loss through erosion in the Middle beach-St Clair beach area.
Judge Kenderdine was "hugely impressed" with efforts being undertaken throughout the country to deal with erosion challenges, with a "tremendous amount of work" being done.
Earlier yesterday, the Waitaki District Council made a submission to the board, stating coastal erosion was "becoming a major issue for local authorities and the public".
The Government did not adequately address the issue of coastal erosion in the draft coastal statement and it was essential this be done, as a matter of national significance.
Such erosion was likely to have an increasingly adverse effect on the coastline and on associated infrastructure and buildings, but the Government had not indicated any additional help would be made available to local authorities dealing with the effects of erosion or seeking to carry out preventive works, the council said.
Waitaki district councillor Pam Spite and council assets committee chairman Alistair Mavor presented the submission, which included photographs highlighting erosion damage at Awamoa, about 5km south of Oamaru. This had resulted in the recent abandonment of a 1km section of Beach Rd.
Another photograph showed erosion in the Oamaru harbour, close to historic buildings.
